Machine for making popcorn cakes



(No Model.)

W. K. EATON.

'MACH INE FOR MAKING POPCORN CAKES.

No. 591,461. Patented Oct. 12.1897.

FIB-7 VVITNELEEEE INVENTEJR shaft 6, the combination operating for de-UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WVILBER K. EATON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING POPCORN CAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 591 ,461 dated October12, 1897. Application filed April 28, 1897. Serial No. 634,241. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBER K. EATON, of Lynn, in the county of Essex andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain Improvements inMachines for Making Popcorn Cakes-and the Like, of which the following,read in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism having for its purpose to facilitatethe operation of making cakes of popcorn and the like.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine embodyingthis invention. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 is a side. elevation,respectively, showing parts of the machine more fully describedhereinafter.-

The machine com prises a framework designated by the letter B. Journaledin the frame 13 is a shaft 2, having fixed and loose powerreceivingpulleys 3, wherethrough motion is imparted for revolving the shaft. Saidshaft carries a gear 4, in mesh witha larger gear 5, wherethrough motionis imparted for turning the gear 5, and consequently revolving the shaft6, on which said gear is fixed. Shaft 6, it will be understood, is themain drivingshaft of the machine, and is journaled in the frame Brearwardly of and in substantially longitudinal plane'with the shaft 2.

In the frame Bare standards 7 7, on which is a cross-head 8, havingdepended therefrom the plunger-heads 9 10. Below the frametable on thestandards 7 is a cross-bar having projected forwardly'therefromatonguepiece 12 for engagement with the cam 13 on pressing the plungers 9once at every revolution of the cam 13. The standards are reversed, andconsequently the plungers are lifted, when the cam permits it, byaspring 14, which to that end has one end attached to the bar 12 and theother end'on frame 13.

-Above. the frame-table and beneath the plungers 9 10 is located theplaten 15, having fixed connection with a shaft 16. Shaft 16 issupported to permit rotation in a journal sleeve or hanger 17 andcarries on its bottom end a ratchet-plate 18. Supported, one end in theframe-table and one end in the hanger 19, is a shaft 20, on which is agear 21, in mesh withgear 22 on shaft 6, and also a plate 23, carryingpin 24 to engage the ratchet projections of plate 18.

It will be understood that by each revolution of plate'23 the pin 24 ismade to engage with a ratchet-tooth on plate 18, and the plate 18 isthereby moved around until the pin 24 escapes from said connection, theresult being to givea step-by-step or intermittent movement to theplaten 15. The platen has recess formations 25 deposed therein with dueregard for the plungers 9 10, so as to be carried successively intoalinemeut with said plungers bythe movement of the platen, and thestopping of the platen is made to take place and continue for theplungers to come down into the plane of the recess placed therebeneath,respectively.

In order to secure the platen against movement in the stopped position,a locking device is employed, which comprises the pivoted bar .27,arranged for connection with a pin 28 on cam 13, whereby the bar is heldin aratchetnotch on plate 18 during the time of the required stop andwithdrawn, when permitted, by the cam and normally held out of said engagement by the spring 29.

To insure stopping of the platen as required during rapid" operation ofthe vmachine, a spring-actuated brake-lever 30 is employed, having itscam-face upwardly-pressed for engagement preliminary to thestoppingoperation with some one of a series of pins 31 on t-he bottom face ofthe platen, the result being to stop theplaten from being displaced bythe force of its revolving movement or momentum after escaping the pin24.

The corn material, it will be understood, is preferably worked in asuperheated temperature, and to that end is provided an oven contrivancehaving the inlet-door 32 and the flapdoor 33, connected with which is atreadlelever device 34 for lifting the door, as shown. Beneath the ovenis a coil of pipe 35, adapted for steam, hot-water, or other convenientheating medium. Instead of this, however, other means of artificialheating devices may be employed. This oven device is arranged to opendirectly toward the platen, and between it and the platen is a portionof the frame-table adapted for supporting the material while mixing andfor uses in operation of the machine.

It will now be understood that the corn material, having been suitablyprepared and properly heated in the oven device, if superficial heat isdesired, is taken in small quantities and put into shapes or formingdevices 40 by hand, which are then placed, respectively, in the socketsor recesses 25 of platen 15. As shown in the present instance, saiddevices consist of circular rings open at the top and bottom and havingtop flanges to prevent passage through the platen-openings. Instead ofrings the shapes may be of heart form or any desired contour. The platenhaving reached the proper position in the machines operations is stoppedand the presserplunger 9 is moved against the material in the formingdevice for pressing it into cakes, and again the platen is stopped,withthe shape or forming device in position for receiving the plunger 10,whereby the cake is pressed through the forming device and therefromdrops through an opening in the frame-table into a chute or conductor 43and thereby is conducted to the delivering-point. IVhen the platen movesfarther around, the exhausted shape or forming device is made to engagethe fixed cam-plate 44, and is therebyousted from the platen onto theframe-table for refilling as and when desired. Except at the receivingand delivering space the formers are held in place by a guard 45,suitably arranged for that purpose about the platen, as shown;

The machine permits rapid operation, and with the heating devices cakesmay be rapidly served while in a superheated condition.

I claim- 1. In a machine for making popcorn cakes and the like, thecombination of forming devices for holding the material and a platen orsupport for said devices, with a plunger for pressing into cakes thematerial in said forming devices, and means for changing the relativepositions of the platen or support and the plunger member, forpresenting the forming devices and completing the pressing operationsone after another, and means for automatically removing the formingdevices from the platen or support, substantially as described.

2. I11 a machine for making popcorn cakes and the like the combinationof forming devices for holding the material and a platen or support forsaid devices with a plunger for pressing into cakes the material in saidforming devices and a plunger for discharging the cakes from the formingdevices and means for shifting the relative positions of the platen orsupport and the pressing and the discharging plungers for presenting theforming devices and completing the pressing and discharging operations,and means for automatically removing the forming devices from the platenor support.

A machine for making popcorn cakes and the like, comprising formingdevices for holding the material, and a movable platen for holding theforming devices, combined with a plunger for pressing into cakes thematerial in said devices, and means for separately discharging the cakesfrom the forming devices, and means for discharging the forming devicesfrom the platen, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for making popcorn cakes and-the like the combination ofa movable platen, and forming devices carried by the platen, With aplunger and means for moving the plunger into the path or plane of theplaten, for pressing into cakes the material in said forming devices,and a second plunger and means for moving it to discharge the cakes,substantially as described.

5. In a machine for making popcorn cakes and the like the combination ofa movable platen, and forming devices carried by the platen, With aplunger and means for moving the plunger into the path or plane of theplaten for pressing into cakes the material in said forming devices anda second plunger and means for moving it to discharge the cakes, andmeans for automatically locking the platen against movement during thepressing and discharging operations, substantially as described.

Signed at Lynn this 10th day of April, A. D. 1897.

XVILBER K. EATON.

Witnesses:

A. M. TUTTLE, C. B. TUTTLE.

